France – Page 9

Lyon – Fourviere Hill and Dinner at Takao Takano

November 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Memorable Meals, Travel

After exploring Vieux Lyon we headed up Fourviere Hill, there are two funiculars up the hill; but you know the Missus, right? We walked up the hills…….

Even with the haze and mistiness, the views were amazing…..

It was on this hill that Lugdunum was established by the Gauls in 43BC.

There are two main sites on the hill; the first being The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière).

While completed in 1894; it is said that the actual planning of the church was made centuries before.

A plague ravaged Lyon in 1643, the city council promised to do a pilgrimage to the top of Fourviere every year if the plague stopped. It is said that the Virgin Mary saved Lyon from the scourge and the Basilica is dedicated to her. Mary is also said to have saved Lyon from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 and prevented the Prussian invasion during the Franco-Prussian War. So of course, Mary deserves her due.

When you enter the Basilica, your eyes are drawn to the six grand mosaics that line the walls. All featuring the Virgin Mary in their story.

The Christian Council of Ephesus in 431, declares Mary to be Theotokos ("God-bearer").

The Battle of Lepanto; where Mary is credited with the victory.

Three scenes of Joan of Arc. In the first scene; on the right she hears messages from Mary…..

Louis the 13th dedicating France to the Virgin Mary.

The Lower Church (crypt) is dedicated to Joseph.

And here you'll find naves with statues of Mary from around the world.

Our Lady of "La Naval" – Phillipines.

Our Lady of China.

Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal).

Are among those we passed.

If you're ever in Lyon the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is well worth visiting.

Since this was a Monday; the Gallo-Roman Museum was closed, but it had been a busy morning, so we just enjoyed walking through the two Roman Theatres.

The larger theatre was built during the reign of Augustus the smaller during the reign of Hadrian.

From here we headed down back down to Vieux Lyon and ended up grabbing a quick croissant (sorry photos didn't turn out) from a Boulangerie.

And did some window shopping.

We were overdue for a break and so we headed back to the apartment. After a short nap, I woke and with the Missus relaxing, decided to head on out for a walk.

Just a few blocks down the street from our apartment was the vast Place Bellecour, the third largest square in France. Funny thing is; we've been to the other two, Esplanade Quinconces in Bordeaux and Place de la Concorde in Paris.

From here, I walked along the banks of the Saône. That's the Passerelle du Palais de Justice below.

I was ready to head back to the apartment when I saw the sign to my right. It's just a sign for the chain of wine/champagne shops, Nicolas, not a big thing really. Except……we were arriving right after the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau for 2018. It's a big deal….on the third Thursday of November, festivities start at 1201 am. Barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau are rolled down the streets of Lyon. Races are held to deliver the first new bottles to destinations throughout the country.

So, I went into Nicolas to purchase a bottle. The gentleman working was really friendly and spoke great English. In the end, he convinced me to buy the second cheapest bottle, telling me, "you try this one…it is c'est bon….if you like, then come back for more"!

Returning to the apartment, we needed to get ready for dinner. I had booked this meal way in advance; at a place named Takao Takano, yet another Japanese Chef heading a French restaurant with Japanese touches to the dishes. I had booked as soon as I knew we'd be going to Lyon. And wouldn't you know it; two weeks after booking dinner at Takao Takano; they got their second Michelin Star!

The night was lovely as we crossed the Passerelle du Collège and made our way to the restaurant.

Then something quite amazing happened. We chatted with our taxi driver on the way to the apartment from the train station…it was pretty chilly and I mentioned snow. He laughed and said it was too early to know in Lyon and it rarely ever happens (apparently he's correct) and almost never in November. So guess what? As we walked up Place Maréchal Lyautey, we felt tiny flakes hit our head and noses….it was snowing! Nothing major, just a light flurry….but we felt happy as schoolkids!

We arrived at the rather discreet location for Takao Takano, on a rather generic mixed use street.

We arrived and was greeted by the hostess, a wonderful young lady, who sat us at one of the tables (there are about nine in the restaurant) near the window. Where we watched the last of the light flurry hit the ground and quickly evaporate. Would that be an omen?

The simple interior of the restaurant quickly filled up. The Missus had a glass of wine; I got some Japanese Whiskey as an aperitif.

We got the 120 Euro tasting menu….and shared a wine pairing. Believe me when I say; this meal was worth every penny!

Things started off with a good sized amuse; a Egg Custard, Smoked Mackerel, and Mushroom Consomme. Think of this as an amazing chawan mushi with amazingly earthy shiitake flavors, and a superb, smokey, rich saba.

The first entrée was an poached Oyster from Maison Gillardeau, considered the "Rolls Royce" of Oysters. amazingly clean flavors, mildly briney, with a sweet, almost nutty finish.

The black tea consommé and dashi added an amazing finish, really enhancing the sweet-brininess of the oyster. Amazing!

An unmistakable fragrance wafted our way even before our next dish hit the table. It was the familiar fragrance of white truffle.

Served with a wonderfully tender, meaty, sweet and savory crawfish tail and truffle gnocchi, in a luxurious seafood sauce…..'nuff said, right?

The John Dory ("Saint Pierre") in a mushroom foame with, "surprise" Percebes was solid if not outstanding.

The fish was very tender, mild in flavor, an interesting foil for the strong earthy and briny flavors presented.

The Perdreau Rouge; young red-legged partridge was quite tender.

I thought the idea of a date and clementine sauce and sumac seemed a strange combination; but the fairly tart sumac combined with the sweetness of the fruits did fairly well with this wonderfully cooked and mild flavored partridge. A solid dish.

The Missus loved the cheese course:

I actually really enjoyed this "pre-dessert" item.

A wonderful Citrus Mousse, so amazingly light, filled with wonderful lemony – nutty flavors.

And of course the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Tart; we requested only one, since I was stuffed.

And, as is the norm with many of these places; a nice parting gift for later.

We loved Takao Takano; easily one of the best meals we've ever had. From the perfect, professional, efficient, genial, well paced service. To a couple of amazing dishes….what a dinner!

I have a feeling we'll return one day. I guess that little flurry of snow was a good sign!

Takao Takano
33 rue Malesherbes
69006 Lyon, France

We walked back to the apartment' quite satisfied.

Perhaps Lyon is the center of the gastronomic world. Well, at least it was for us on this evening!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lyon – The Silk in Lyon Festival, Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles and Exploring Vieux Lyon

November 1, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Travel

Our train from Colmar to Mulhouse, then onward to Lyon was uneventful. We got to Lyon Part-Dieu Station and then to our apartment, a wonderful, large unit, with high ceilings, on Rue Confort, in the high rent district, fairly quickly. The Missus was already looking forward to getting back to Paris, but to say I was quite excited is an understatement. After all, Lyon has been dubbed the "capital of gastronomy", not only for France, but of the world. I think that might be a rather tall order, but I'd been reading about Bouchon's, not of the Thomas Keller type, but true Lyonnaise Bouchons, the one's (of which there are 22 as I type this) that are certified. And then there's the late, legendary, Paul Bocuse, who according to many changed French Gastronomy, and brought chefs to the forefront, and was a pioneer of the Nouvelle Cuisine movement in France. Who was based in France and whose name I first heard when I saw a show on the Bocuse d'Or many years ago. Excited? Me? You bet…..

Of course, there are just so many meals one can have in a day, or so the Missus tells me. So, what else to do in Lyon? Well, Lyon is listed by UNESCO, as a World Heritage Site. The city itself has a long, interesting history, established back in 43 BC by the Gauls, and was named Lugdunum. Due to the city's strategic location; between the navigable Saône and Rhône rivers and being between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, the city soon became the capital of the Gauls. Ok, I see your eyes glazing over, enough of that for now….but hopefully, I made my point, right? In other words, there's heck of a lot of history here……

Our apartment was located in the Presqu'île, the "Peninsula", basically the center of everything. So once we dropped our bags off, the Missus wanted to do some walking. Less than a half block away was picturesque Place des Jacobins and it's distinctive fountain.

We walked North to Place des Terreaux and Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) de Lyon.

Things were much more lively here. With people milling about.

There's a famous fountain created by Bartholdi, you know, the guy who built this thing called the Statue of Liberty. The fountain features Marianne, France's symbol of the Republic, riding on the chariot drawn by four horses representing the four rivers of France. The horses snort, steam as it guides the rivers to the sea! Such high drama!

Heading back to the apartment after stretching our legs, we passed the Palais de la Bourse, where there seemed to be an event going on. It was the Annual Silk Festival. We decided to attend.

First off, the interior of the Palais de la Bourse is quite fetching. Along with gastronomy, Lyon is considered the capital of the European Silk Industry. In 1466 Louis XI decided to set-up silk manufacturing in Lyon.

We really enjoyed the various booths and the Missus got to pick up some gifts for Frankie's Aunties who were watching him while we travelled.

Here's a nice timeline of Lyon's silk history.

We found it quite interesting that Japan had an entire room with various silk displays. The women saw us, bowed and started speaking to us in Japanese!

It was a wonderful time. If you'd like more info on this annual festival, here's the website.

We walked back to the apartment to drop off our purchases and then headed out to dinner.

I had really wanted to eat at a Bouchon on our first night in Lyon; I thought it would set the right mood for our short visit. It was however, Sunday, and most of the Bouchon's were closed. There was one place open on this evening that I had high on my list; Le Bouchon des Filles. While not certified, I'd read many good things about the place. The owners, "des Filles" are two women who paid their dues at the very traditional, highly regarded, Café des Fédérations. I had heard the portions weren't super humongous and since women, specifically Mothers are part of the rich history of the Bouchon, the Les Mères Lyonnaises; I thought it would be a good start. Also, there the common thread (pun intended) of silk that runs through the history of the Bouchon as well, as these inns and taverns were originally created to feed the silk workers.

One problem though; I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get a reservation online. So, we walked on over, and I dutifully waited outside….being the first in line when the place opened. And viola! We got a table

Which was a darned good thing too as the place filled up fast. Within a few minutes, folks without reservations were being turned away.

Like most Bouchons, it's a prix fixe menu….not a fancy schmancy chef's menu; but you get to choose your main course out of Bouchon Classics and then all the entrees (side dishes) come out. The Missus was enjoying Her wine when things started arriving.

The Missus loves lentils, so the green lentil with chorizo really hit the spot with Her. Savory chorizo, smokiness from the sausage, the lentils cooked perfectly.

The rustic pork terrine was wonderful; so porky and rich. The cabbage salad was fairly ordinary and bland.

Before our mains we were presented with an amuse; a veloute, that tasted of cauliflower if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, the Missus loved it.

The Missus went all out with Her main, ordering the Andouillette. Which was a good choice.

This tripe and offal stuffed sausage was served with a nice, punchy mustard sauce, which nicely complimented the offal. As you can see; it was literally exploding with flavor!

The gratin de pommes were delicious; the potatoes nicely flavored and seasoned, thinly sliced and stacked, quite tender…..

The Missus had Her doubts about my ordering the Quenelle, worried about fishy or a muddy tasting "dumpling".

She could not have been more wrong; this was delicious. The fish used was red mullet, not the traditional pike, so the flavor was mild, which let through the wonderful savory-slightly briny sweetness of the crayfish. The sauce was a luxuriously seafood-y delight as well. The quenelle was so tender.

The cheese course was a creamy brie and an interesting, very soft cheese called Cervelle de canut ("silk worker's brain"), which was slightly garlick and herbaceous, with a slight pungent (from shallots) flavor.

And of course, the Missus picked some stuff from the dessert menu; which She seemed to enjoy.

Friendly service, good prices, good food, and a nice first meal in Lyon!

Le Bouchon Des Filles
20 rue Sergent Blandan
69001 Lyon, France

We headed back to the apartment and had a great night of sleep!

The next morning we awoke and just kinda hung around for a while. Before finally heading out for our "walk". It was fairly quiet when we headed out.

This was to be our "busy" day in the city, checking out Vieux Lyon and the Fourvière.

We crossed on over the Saône River on Passerelle du Palais de Justice to "Old Lyon" (Vieux Lyon).

It's called "Old Lyon" for a reason; it is the city's oldest district. Banking and the silk industry made Lyon quite prosperous from the 16th to the 18th century and much of it was displayed in this area, which has a large number of Renaissance structures still in view.

Crossing over the river towards Saint Jean Cathedral, we came upon an example of how long people have been living in the area. While walking to the cathedral we came upon this site.

These are ruins of churches dating back to the first century.

There are many grand looking structures in the area. This is the very gothic looking Palais Saint Jean, the former headquarters of the Archdiocese in the city.

And right around the corner is the Place Saint Jean. Looking up toward the Fourvière, you can see the Basilique Notre Dame looming above.

It's a very nice square, with the Saint Jean Cathedral crowning it.

The Cathedral took over 200 years to build, starting in the 12th century. Because it took so long to build, the structure displays a combination of the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Lyon is called the "Primate of the Gauls", considered to be the oldest Christian city in France. Much has happened here; the coronation of Pope John XXII in 1316, the marriage of Henry IV to Marie de Medici in 1600.

As impressive a pedigree was of the Cathedral, there was one thing I wanted to see……

Folks who read this blog know that I'm fascinated by Plague Columns and Astronomical clocks. And there's one in Saint Jean's Cathedral.

This one dates back to the 14th century, which I understand was destroyed in the 16th century.

I'm not sure what it is about these clocks that fascinate me……I'm neither an engineer, nor mechanically inclined….but there something about tracking the passage of time along with the heavens that gets my attention.

Anyway, we also enjoyed the stained glass and the basic layout of the Cathedral.

One block over is what is considered a great example of a Lyonnaise Renaissance building, Place de Basoche.

For some reason, it's totally not what I had envisioned for the Renaissance.

And a few steps away was a charming street, that featured a Traboule. What is a traboule you may ask….well, the sixth grader in me will latch on to the term "secret passage". Traboules were passages that cut through various buildings, a series of shortcuts if you will, that linked the streets of Lyon. Much of the traboules are said to be linked to….well, the silk trade of course, used to transport the silk from the river, protected from the mist and rain, to shops and storage areas. There is said to be hundreds of these in Lyon. About forty or so are open to the public…..when the doors that lead to them are open. We found one, behind this door….which was unlocked…..

Which lead us through a couple buildings from Rue Saint Jean to Rue de Boeuf.

It was quite fascinating…..though we now had a hill to climb…..and of course, knowing the Missus, the funicular was not included in that plan….

I realize that this has been a pretty loooong post. If you've hung in there for the 1750 words or so, thanks so much!

Colmar – A Bit More Exploring and Dinner at La Fer Rouge

October 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After a nice lunch back at the apartment we took a even nicer nap. After waking, the Missus made us some espresso and we headed out to the terrace and enjoy our favorite view in Colmar, the Pont de Rue de Turenne. Selfie time was in full swing.

It seemed like everyone needed a photo here.

Everyone……..

And I really don't blame them at all….it was quite entertaining.

And we just loved watching all of this from our discrete perch.

We headed back out….there's a term I picked up in Paris; Flâneur or flânerie, to basically stroll or wander aimlessly, experiencing the urban surroundings, which the Missus (the female term is Flâneuse) and I always try to do, it's a very important part of our trips, the time to take in our surroundings and appreciate, in our most limited way our destination. And our last evening in Colmar was no different.

We wandered through the tourist trail…….

Where there were still interesting things to see; like this 2 Euro Store.

Which has quite a history.

Actually, being a tourist in France is not a bad thing at all; I read an article where author and reporter Anthony Peregrine was quoted something I've heard several times; “Of the 60 per cent of French people who go away on holiday, some 80 per cent stay within their own country". So, even the French, like to travel to…..France.

We did a circle around the area….

Ending up around Rue des Tetes, where we had been earlier in the day.

Where we got some gifts and confections.

And, ahem….did some "window shopping"…..yea, that's right; window shopping. I was actually tempted to purchase (I almost typed "grab") a bottle of L'alsacienne Biere. But we had a bottle of liquid refreshment back at the apartment and I'm not quite sure what the meaning of culotte was in this context. Though based on the poster I could guess…..

By now it was getting close to dinner time. A few months before; I'd gotten a recommendation to try out the Baeckeoffe at a place called La Fer Rouge which was located almost across from the Koïfhus (the Customs House) and conveniently located on the way back to the apartment.

The restaurant is located in a lovely half-timbered structure and is quite charming. It's also a pretty busy restaurant, though we got there right before opening and got a table with no problem.

And there was indeed Baeckeoffe on the menu. The service was professional and courteous.

The Missus had a nice glass of wine and in anticipation of the Baeckeoffe being quite substantial, ordered as She did the night before. She just loved Choucroute and could not get enough of it.

She deemed this version as the second best She had; with Le Petit Venise still number one.

She also enjoyed my salad…..much welcomed with all the rather heavy food we'd been consuming. Crisp veggies, nice refreshing dressing.

As for my Baeckeoffe. Well, this one pot stew of mixed meat; here cooked in red wine was…..well, incinerated.

Those potatoes were burnt, bitter, with a texture like cardboard. The bottom was full of crusted burnt meat. The layer in the middle; was rather tasty, fairly rich and hearty. I had thought of returning this; but the place was just plain slammed….so, we ate what we could and cut our losses.

Le Fer Rouge
52 Grand rue
68000, Colmar, France

Plus, earlier we had decided to open up one of the bottles of Champagne we had purchased at Champagne Brugnon in Rilly La Montagne and enjoyed it in the warm comfort of the apartment.

If we're ever back; I need to do more in-depth research on places to eat.

The next morning we packed and headed out.

It was a nice crisp November morning and we enjoyed the walk to Gare de Colmar.

I really like the look of the train station; which opened in 1907.

And there's a really neat window scene in the train station that was done by Jean le Gac. It depicts a painter (of course) dashing from a train to rescue two damsels in distress. Not quite sure how this ties into Colmar and it looks kind of strange for a train station, but I liked it.

As for Colmar; well, we really enjoy Alsace and Colmar is a nice base for exploring the region. We loved the vibe and really enjoyed the apartment. I really think we'll be back.

But for now…….we were off to Lyon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Colmar – Dinner at Brassierie Heydel, a Morning Walk Around Colmar, and Some Self-Catering

October 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

We'd had a wonderful day visiting the colorful villages of Alsace. Christopher was an amazing guide and even called and made reservations for dinner when I mentioned a specific Alsatian dish called Fleischschnacka.

When we headed out for dinner; it was already fairly dark in Colmar. Looking out from our terrace; Pont de Rue de Turenne was nice and quiet.

The restaurant was centrally located, though not quite in the tourist center.

The folks working were quite friendly and the place was pretty quiet when we arrived. There just seemed to be few regular customers in the place.

Though it filled up pretty quickly as we were ending our meal.

The Missus just had to have Her favorite; the Choucroute and figured my dish was going to be pretty hefty. We also got the Foie Gras entre to start.

This was smooth, rather mild in offal tones, rich, and quite good.

The Missus enjoyed Her Choucroute.

Though She said it was not a crisp and refreshing as the version at Le Petit Venise.

And then there was my "snails of meat" – Fleischschnacka. Man, this was a pretty hefty dish.

Think of ground meat rolled in pasta; the two slices were a bit too much for me and fairly mild in flavor. I loved the potatoes and the green salad.

I'm not going into too much detail about Heydel; because, at least according to their Facebook page as of June 17th, the business is in the process of changing ownership.

Brasserie Heydel
45 rue des Clefs
68000, Colmar, France

As you can see; Colmar is quite stunning at night as well.

It was wonderful waking in the morning and taking your espresso on the terrace.

The next morning we decided to explore Colmar's Old Town. The Pont de Rue de Turenne was quiet at this time of the day. You can see our apartment's terrace at the upper left of this photo.

Things were being set-up for the Christmas Market which was going to start that weekend.

We used Rick Steves walk as a guide. We started at the Koïfhus; the Customs House. Trade made Colmar a wealthy city in the Middle Ages and the Customs House was the center of it all. Colmar had been granted Free Imperial City status by the Holy Roman Empire.

Above the door on the south side of the building is this door. The plaque above the door designates Colmar as being an Imperial City.

Above one of the portals you'll see this plaque.

Jean Rapp, one of Napoleon's chief consuls was born in Colmar; supposedly here in the Customs House where his dad was a janitor.

In the square in front of the Customs House is this fountain.

The fountain statue is of Lazarus von Schwendi. Who supposedly (it is considered a myth) brought the Tokaji (remember our dinner in Budapest) to Alsace. The statue was made by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who also created something known as the Statue of Liberty.

From here we walked down Rue des Tanneurs. There's a channel right across the street. As we had learned in Modena, you need a close running water source for tanning leather. This is where the tanner in Colmar used to reside.

From here we circled back a bit along the Marché Couvert.

And then up to Rue des Marchands ("Merchants Street").

Right up the street is one of the distinctive buildings in Colmar; Maison Pfister. Built in 1537 in Renaissance style, with biblical stories and figures painted into the walls. It's a beautiful and impressive building.

Right across the way is the carving that folks call the "Meter Man". It's the sign for a drape maker and he is holding the standard measure of length, Colmar's version of the meter.

It's all quite entertaining……..

As you can tell when looking at the photo of Maison Pfister….right past the structure is St Martin's Church, where we spent a few minutes lingering.

I'm always fascinated by clocks in these churches……

We wandered down Rue des Boulangers…..

And since this was the "street of bakers" spent a bit of time shopping for gifts.

From here we took a right on Rue des Tetes (street of heads) and came upon the façade of the Maison des Tetes ("House of Heads"). Now a luxury hotel; this structure was built in 1609 by a wine maker. Many heads, masks, and faces adorn the façade.

The most interesting one is found to the left of the entrance to the courtyard.

There you'll see what looks like a court jester; his belly sticking out, with hoofs in the place of feet. Go figure…..

It's quite a sight…..

Though I haven't spent time on it; I need to mention all the wonderful signs that adorn the buildings…….

From here we turned back and headed down the colorful streets of Colmar.

And back to the Marché Couvert. We were staying in such a lovely apartment that we decided to take advantage of it and do some self-catering.

And combined with the cheese we Riquewihr and the cookies that Christopher had given to us as a gift; we had a very nice meal.

There's much to love about Colmar and Alsace in general. Beautiful half-timbered buildings, history and charm; with some humor thrown in.

I thank you for stopping by and sharing this with us!

Alsace – The Four Wonders of Alsace Part 2. Riquewihr and Kaysersberg

September 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, Bakery, Cheese, Desserts, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Like my previous post yesterday, there's not much food in this one. But I hope you'll enjoy more of the wonderful sights of Alsace!

After leaving Ribeauvillé, we headed a short way south to the medieval town of Riquewihr.

Yet, another charming and beautiful village. During our drive time, we had a nice time chatting with Christopher. And he quickly picked up the fact that the Missus and I both enjoy food. So the first stop on that beautiful cobblestone street was this place.

Where Christopher and the really friendly young man working here plied us with cheese…….

And when we decided to buy; they made sure to give us another round of tastings to make sure we were getting what we wanted.

And what we wanted was Tomme….lots of Tomme; de Brebis (sheep), de Chevre (goat), and the Cave Aged Tomme. Man, it was good!

We'd end up having the cheese for lunch the following day back in Colmar.

Les Caves d'Affinage de Riquewihr
16 Rue du General de Gaulle
68340 Riquewihr, France

I mentioned earlier that Riquewihr is a medieval village. It was and basically still is a fortified town with ruins of the ramparts dating back to the 13th century still surrounding much of the town.

At the top of the main street is the "Dolder" (Belfry). We were told that the tower was originally built in 1291. The belfry was added in the 19th century and used to warn and inform the residents of approaching threats and groups.

There's actually a pretty little street outside the tower that runs along what is the ramparts of the town.

And here is the "Obertor" ("Tall Gate") which helped to protect the city.

You can see that there was once a drawbridge to keep intruders out. The moat area is now a wonderful grassy parklike area.

That statue of the woman riding on a horse; was, if I recall, "La Dame du Parc".

The area along the ramparts is quite photogenic and makes for a nice stroll.

We were really enjoying our time in Alsace…..

We were given some time to shop and perhaps grab some lunch in Riquewihr.

So we headed back down the main street; just taking our time…….

We weren't very hungry; so just stopped by a patisserie on Rue du Général de Gaulle, named Patisserie Chez Chloe and got our caffeine fix, a quiche (which was terrible), and some sweets for the Missus.

Patisserie Chez Chloe
24 Rue du Général de Gaulle
68340 Riquewihr, France

Well, at least the coffee perked me up! We then took to wandering some of the side streets and spent some time in the Christmas shop pictured near the top of this post; Féerie de Noël Käthe Wohlfahrt . Man, the buildings are so colorful here!

We even found a War Memorial down one of the side streets.

Riquewihr; like Ribeauvillé is on the Alsace wine trail. And just walking a block or two down a street; you'll come to a sight like this.

We then headed back up to the Obertor and met Christopher who took us outside the city for a view of the vineyards.

Speaking of wine; our next stop was a fun visit to Bott Frères Winery. We had such a great time that I pretty much forgot to take photos during the tour.

We ended up buying a case of wine and had it shipped back to San Diego. The Riesling Gran Cru was a favorite of the Missus's and also Frankie's Aunt Alle's Mom loved it as well!

While we were driving to our next stop Christopher asked us if we had heard of Kaysersberg. I said yes, and was asked what I knew about the city. I told him Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer was from Kaysersberg. I'd taken quite a few Philosophy courses in college, you could say it was one of my "majors", though I really don't remember much about what I learned all these years later; I recall reading The Decay and the Restoration of Civilization and being quite affected by it. Christopher smiled and nodded; he then asked us if we had heard of Anthony Bourdain…..and then it came to me….I'd totally forgotten that he had committed suicide in Kaysersberg! You can read about the rest of the conversation at the end of this post.

We parked outside the village and strolled in.

The River Weiss runs through town, just adding to its beauty. No wonder Kaysersberg, like Eguisheim, won the Préféré des Français as favorite French Village this time 2017.

Christopher pointed out the details; like the platforms where women used to do the laundry in the river and details on the houses…..

Of course, I was just distracted by the ducks…..

The village is very charming and with Christmas around the corner at the time of our visit; there was a festive air to things…..

Even the Fontaine Constantin was ready for the holidays!

Christopher took us into the Eglise De l'Invention De La Sainte-Croix, Church of the Holy Cross.

The dramatic and impressive altarpiece dates back to the 16th century.

After our visit to the church we checked out some of the shops in the town.

First stopping at the workshop of a shop that made hand blown glass. And then next to a an amazing shop full of Cuckoo Clocks. The really sweet young lady proceeded to set all the clocks to go off while we stood and watched….talk about over stimulation! It was a wall of chaos! Hilarious…..

As we wandered the side streets it seemed that Kaysersberg was much more populous than the published number of less than 5,000!

Like the other villages; take a short stroll one or two blocks down a side street and you're out in the vineyards. In this case with a castle as a backdrop!

As we strolled thru town; Christopher asked us if we wanted to see the hotel where AB died; we instantly said "no", he seemed relieved….apparently many of his customers from the US make visiting the Chambard Hotel their primary goal when visiting Kaysersberg. I understand that Bourdain changed the way many look at travel, food, and culture……but…..

I can just imagine how this makes the residents of this beautiful village feel….most of whom had never heard of the man before his visit.

There's a magical and like I said before, almost fairy-tale like feel to visiting these villages in Alsace. You are transported light years away from the hustle and bustle of big city life. We really enjoyed having Christopher as our guide, he gave us some cookies as a gift, and as we were headed back across the River Weiss, we were discussing various dishes we'd tried or were looking to try in Alsace. Upon me mentioning Fleischschnacka, he smiled and said, "I know just the place for you…." And proceeded to call a restaurant and make reservations for us for dinner! I think that says it all……

Dreamy, fairytale like villages and warm, friendly, hospitable people. That's Alsace.

Thanks for stopping by!

Alsace – The Four Wonders of Alsace Tour Part 1. Eguisheim and Ribeauvillé

September 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, Bakery, Croissants, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Not much food in this, and my next post. But if you love fairy tale like streets and lovely half-timbered houses, you might enjoy this post.

I got up early on our first full day in Alsace. We'd really come to enjoy Alsace the previous winter when we visited Strasbourg. Though it was a week before the Christmas Markets opened in Colmar, we had enjoyed the previous evening. On this day we had arranged for a small group tour from Alsace Original Experiences called the Four Wonders of Alsace, which visited four different villages in Alsace.

But first, even though we were still satisfied from our rather large dinner the night before, we needed some sustenance. While the Missus woke up; I headed down Rue Turenne.

Of course, I had to walk over to the bridge and take a look at our wonderful balcony.

I had seen an Artisan Boulangerie on our street the night before, so I walked on over to Maison Alexandre.

And picked up two croissants for breakfast.

La Maison Alexandre
34 Rue Turenne
68000 Colmar, France

I got back to the apartment and the Missus popped a couple of pods in the Nespresso Machine and we had espresso and our croissants.

Unfortunately, these weren't very good; it lacked a nice crisp flakiness and butteriness. Oh well……

A short while later, we headed downstairs to be picked up for our small group tour. A few minutes later, our driver/guide arrived. We got really lucky as there were no other people on the tour for this day. So, we basically had our own private tour. And our guide, Christopher, was amazing!

The Missus and I felt like we had stepped into a Fairy Tale as we walked the cobblestone street of our first stop; Eguisheim.

The colorful half-timbered houses, the tiny streets, the charming décor just transported us. And, in fact, two of the villages wed visit on this tour, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr was the inspiration for Belle's hometown in Beauty and the Beast! And while both of those villages were charming and lovely, it's Eguisheim that still stands out in our mind. In fact, in 2013, Eguisheim won the Préféré des Français and declared the "Favorite Village in France". And we could see why.

As we headed up the beautiful Rue du Remparts, Christopher pointed out a ton of little details to us. That cute skinny house in the middle of the photo above, now the home of a business, Le Pigeonnier, dates back to the 15th century.

Even in winter; the street bursts with color and adorable ornamentation.

Christopher went through small details on the structures and I took photos, though I should have taken notes so I'd have remembered what these small details told about the families, vocations, and social standing of the folks who once lived here.

Storks are symbols of fertility and good luck in Alsace. They are treasured and build their nests on top of roofs, steeples, and other high areas.

They were once threatened with extinction in Alsace, but a conservation program in the region has allowed for a rebound in mating pairs. And though they usually migrate South for the winter; Christopher pointed out a couple of stray "couples"(most White Storks are monogamous and share duties for raising their young) still hanging around in late November.

Christopher told us we were extremely lucky to see storks this time of the year and it must be a good omen.

As we made a circle back to the main road, we passed the rather hulking looking Church of Saint Peter and Paul.

Christopher took us in; there was something he wanted us to see.

Off on the "porch" to the side is a wooden Vierge Ourvante, an "Opening Virgin". Which dates back to the 13th or 14th Century.

This is a very rare artifact and is quite striking.

The center of this charming village is the Place du Château Saint-Léon, the former site of a castle. This area had been settled by first the Gauls, then the Romans.

Notice the statue and the church? Well, a former Pope and Saint; Leo IX was born in Eguisheim in, get this 1002! That chapel is named Chapelle Saint-Léon IX and was built and dedicated to Saint Leo in 1894.

It's a quaint, tiny chapel, which houses relics of the former Pope and Saint.

The frescoes in the chapel represent the seven scenes from the life of Saint Leo.

And though it was rather dark when we entered……

A coin in the machine changes that in an instant!

Our next stop on the tour was the charming, but bustling town of Ribeauvillé.

The old town is charming and as you'll quickly notice has quite a few "music" oriented statues, symbols, and icons.

Originally known as Rappoltsweiler, then becoming Rathaldovilare, in the 8th century, the village was passed on to the noble family of Rappoltstein. The Lord of Rappoltstein was the protector of the wandering minstrels of the land, who paid him a tax for protection. In fact, the minstrels had their own chapel in the village and even their own patron Saint! They used to celebrate at the chapel on September 8th and something similar still occurs on the first Sunday in September in Ribeauvillé; a festival called Pfifferdaj ("Fiddler's Festival"), which claims to be the oldest festival in Alsace.

Christopher lead along the main street making stops along the way to tell us stories about Ribeauvillé.

The main square is named Place de Mairie and a large gate and tower; named the Butcher's Tower (Tour des Bouchers), named after the slaughterhouse and butcher stalls that were located at its base.

The gate separates what was once the upper and lower towns of Ribeauvillé.

Speaking of butchers……this wonderful half timbered house……

Sits atop a very popular Boucherie named Siedel Hubert.

We ended up spending some time in the shop and purchasing some foie gras on the way back down.

Siedel Hubert
78 Grand'Rue
68150 Ribeauvillé, France

A bit further up the street was a beautiful square Place de la Sinne and the wonderful half-timbered houses.

Minstrels once used to gather around this fountain and in the inns that lined the square.

Christopher also pointed out various signs along the way……

And then asked us if we'd like to do some exploring and shopping on our own. So, after setting up our meeting place (the piper statue), we wondered around, did a bit of shopping.

And spent a good amount of time at Siedel Hubert, before meeting Christopher at the location designated.

We were charmed and taken in by these villages in Alsace.

And there were still several more stops to go! Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Alsace – Exploring Colmar, Dinner at Winstub de la Petit Venise, and a Kinda Creepy Coincidence

August 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Travel

While planning our trip to France, I told the Missus that I really wanted to head back to Alsace. I had really enjoyed our time in Strasbourg the year before. And though we'd be a week early for the Christmas Market, I thought having a short break in Colmar would be great! And so, we headed from Reims to Colmar, arriving at around 330 in the afternoon. As we headed to our apartment crossing Rue Turenne we understood why this area was called "Le Petit Venise"; not that it looked anything like Venice, not by a long shot.

But there are lovely little canals and wonderful half-timbered houses, and lovely bridges, like the Pont de Rue de Turenne. Which someone told me was called the "fanny bridge" because at certain times of the day folks would be lining up for photos and selfies with their backs against the railing, so looking from along the way, all you saw was a line of folk's backs and backsides lining the railing!

And to make things even better; we had a wonderful apartment with a balcony that overlooked the bridge. We'd entertain ourselves by heading out onto the balcony several times of the day just to watch folks on the bridge….or even just watch the water flowing by.

This was our view.

Reims – Brasserie du Boulingrin

August 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After spending the day touring the Champagne Region and having had two dinners at fairly modern bistros, I thought having a nice "old school" dinner would be a change of pace. So we walked on over near the Porte du Mars and the area we had checked out the day before, to an Reims institution, established in 1925, Brasserie du Boulingrin.

Decked out in art deco style, with a menu to match Entrecote Roti, Tete de Veau, Ris de Veau……

We started with some wine…..we let the Server pick and he did a nice job.

We decided to go with the one dish I was looking forward to trying here and the Missus got a simple salad.

I ordered the Pieds de porc panes rotis au four et lentilles de Champagne……figure it out yet? It's roasted breaded pig trotters with local lentils.

At first our kind Server wasn't sure we knew what we had ordered….so he asked again…..and we repeated what we wanted. "Monseur, are you sure?" We nodded in the positive.

The Missus really enjoyed the perfectly cooked lentils; tender but still holding its shape. She basically went at it like a hot knife thru butter.

As for the trotters…well, they were perfectly roasted; the breading gave the exterior a bit of a crunch. The seasoning was simple, but spot on. Nice tender bits of meat and wonderful collagenic connective tissue.

I think you can figure out how much we enjoyed this, right?

Sorry about the photos; there were red neon lights right above us that pretty much killed the photos.

We enjoyed this hearty dinner. It was a fine last meal in Reims, nothing fancy, but quite satisfying.

Brasserie du Boulingrin
29 rue de Mars
51100, Reims, France

After dinner we took our time getting back to our hotel room. Like I mentioned; there was quite a bit of road and other work going on around Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).

Compared to Paris, things were quite quiet on this Wednesday evening.

We walked on over to the usually busy shopping street; Rue Condorset, which was very quiet this evening, and enjoyed watching Le Carrousel Vénitien.

Then headed back to our hotel for a nice night of sleep.

Our train wasn't leaving until 1245pm, so we had some time to kill in Reims. We decided to head on back to the Cathedral, which I covered in an earlier post.

And enjoyed the stained glass.

And reminded myself of the stories of Joan of Arc. And how, after the French victory at the Battle of Patay, Joan convinced the Heir Apparent (Dauphin), Charles to be crowned in Reims. Thus began what is called "the March to Reims". On July 17th, 1429, Dauphine Charles, was the 12th ruler crowned in Reims and became Charles VII.

Another interesting story is how Charles VII's estranged son Louis heard of his father's impending demise and rushed to Reims to ensure that he and not his brother Charles of Valois, would be crowned king. Ah yes…..such drama and intrigue.

We enjoyed our time in Reims and perhaps we'll return someday.

Reims is close enough to be a day trip; but if you plan to visit, you may want to at least stay one night. It seems that as day turns to evening in Reims, at least during the week, the day trippers sail off into the sunset and Reims becomes a peaceful, laid-back, city, with so much history….and yes, Champagne everywhere.

Some folks will even bend over backwards for you!

The Great Champagne Tour – Visits to Champagne Bauchet, Moët & Chandon, Lunch at La Table de Kobus, and a Visit to Champagne Brugnon

August 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

Our last full day in Champagne was the "big one". During previous trips to other regions of France, I drove or we found train connections. When driving I (obviously) wasn't able to taste the wonderful adult beverages produced by the places we visited. When doing the train or bus; well, I just didn't feel very comfortable partaking in said beverages. As a whole we'd kind of avoided tours as much as possible, but our experience with the Italian Days Food Tour changed our opinion on small group and private tours. I decided to go ahead and book a private tour with The Champagne Tour Company. Dealing with Larry Davis who runs the company was a pleasure and a custom tour was designed for us. We not only wanted to visit a large Champagne house; but also smaller producers and learn a bit about the process.

Our driver arrived on time and we were quickly whisked away to Bisseuil and Champagne Bauchet, where we were introduced to the amazing process of Champagne making.

From the making of the wine. To the blending and ageing……in underground cellars.

To the age old process of "riddling" where the bottles are slowly tilted down over time, while turning occasionally, this is still sometimes done by hand.

To the process called disgorgement.

It was interesting to see the process in a Champagne House like Bauchet, which produces 300,000 bottles a year.

Because on our next stop; we were back in Epernay, on Avenue de Champagne at probably the most well known Champagne House in the World; Moët & Chandon, which by the way also produces Dom Perignon, and is part owner of Louis Vuitton.

We kind of expected what we got at M&C, a polished, professional, and somewhat sterile tour of the cellars and history of Moët & Chandon. You know the deal, "we're walking….we're walking"….

Everything fits within the brand and the image of luxury that Champagne is associated with. That is not to say that the tour wasn't interesting; it was.

The cellars are quite a sight to see; the cellars of Moët & Chandon spans 17 miles under Epernay; the most in the Champagne region.

There are some locked off areas which we were told hold some of the rarest and most expensive Champagne in the world.

At the end; we had a tasting of several variations and vintages.

And of course no tour is complete without a visit to the gift shop afterwards…..

In case you just needed to get that (those) bottle(s) of Dom Perignon.

I'm glad we did Bauchet first as we could really see the stark contrast in marketing and branding.

We were running a bit late, so we were dropped off for lunch at a place Larry Davis had said we'd enjoy; La Table Kobus.

Since we hadn't walked very much on this day; we weren't super hungry. So, even though "Le Menu de l’Ardoise", basically the pre fixe menu for lunch looked great; we decided to share two appetizers and one main for lunch. The staff here are amazing; the service is top notch. And they even split all the dishes for us!

Frog Legs with Favas.

Tender frog legs, very nicely seasoned. The beans had a nice firm texture with a nice, mildly sweet-grassiness to it.

The Foie Gras…..

Beautifully split as you can see. Very smooth, earthy flavors.

And the mushroom "ravioli".

Loved the acidity of what seemed to be a wonderful confit tomato. The mushrooms were wonderful, earthy in flavor, very nice. Not a big fan of the rather brittle wrapper, but this was a nice dish overall.

The Missus had all the confections for dessert.

And a nice stiff espresso got us back on our feet.

A nice lunch. If we'd stayed in Epernay, I'm sure we'd eat here again.

La Table de Kobus
3 Rue Dr Rousseau
51200 Épernay, France

From here we were taken on a short drive uphill to view the vineyards.

And then off to the village of Hautvillers.

And to the Abbey in the village.

Why, you may ask? Well, in this former Benedictine Monastery lived a monk named Dom Perignon. And while sparkling wine existed before Dom Perignon, it surely would not have been Champagne as we know it without his contributions.

You can see the relics (bones) of Saint Nivard who founded the Abbey. But what most people come to see is the burial site of Dom Perignon.

It was an interesting stop….so much history here.

As we were running late; we couldn't make our designated time at our last stop. Instead, arrangements were made to visit a small producer in Rilly La Montagne named Brugnon. It would turn out to be our favorite stop on the tour.

Phillippe Brugnon met us in front of his house; there were no signs that we could see. What followed was an amazing personal tour of his family's production facility.

It was a wonderful excursion. We also found that Monsieur Brugnon is an expert at Sabrage; opening a bottle of Champagne with a saber!

We enjoyed the personal touches and the stories….like how they managed to get all of the equipment and facilities underneath the house. He explained that the peeled away what is the parking lot to get everything in place; then rebuilt and repaved the parking lot above!

We also found out that Champagne Brugnon is not exported to the States……so we bought two bottles…which were delicious by the way. We'd drink one later on during the trip and the other back home on New Year's Eve.

We were dropped back at the hotel after quite a full day. I highly recommend the Champagne Tour Company if you'd like a private, custom tour in Champagne. It was worth every penny and we had a blast.

Thanks for stopping by!

Reims – The Significance of 10 Rue President Franklin Roosevelt, Cimetière du Nord, and Dinner at Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse

July 23, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

After having a nice drive around Champagne, we returned to Reims and dropped the rental car off at Gare de Reims. We took a roundabout way back to the hotel, mainly because there was once place I wanted see. Around the back of the train station is a street named Rue President Franklin Roosevelt. There is a red brick building that still functions as a schoolhouse to this day. You'll see the flags of the UK, US, France, and the Soviet Union flying out front.

Walk up to the doorway and you'll see this sign…..

The top sign basically says: “It is here that on 7 May 1945, was signed the act that ended the Second World War in Europe.” Yes, this is the spot where Germany surrendered. You can read Ralph Morse's first hand account here. This street was renamed for Franklin Roosevelt as was the school it houses which still operates.

Nearby is the War Memorial of Reims (Monument aux Morts de Reims).

And right across the way is the Cimetière du Nord, which had a quite haunting look to us as we walked through it.

From here we walked past some of the more important locales in the city like Place Royale…..

There was quite a bit of road and other work going on so I didn't take many photos.

And the sun seemed to set quite rapidly……

We returned to the hotel, freshened up, changed, and headed off to dinner. I'd made reservations at a contemporary bistro named Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse, which seemed quite low-keyed, had an interesting menu, and seemed just right for this evening.

Of course things started off some Champagne.

We weren't very hungry, so we decided to share an appetizer, the Missus ordered another appetizer as Her main and I got one of the entrees, to share with Her of course.

The service was wonderful and accommodating.

We started with, well, the Foie Gras of course, two ways, the terrine was wonderful, rich and creamy, the fig compote and the brioche proved to be a wonderful foil for the richness.

The Missus ordered the Noix de Petoncles dans son Mini Potirron.

Basically, sautéed scallops served in a pumpkin. The scallops were very sweet and tender, I was a bit leery about the fennel sauce, but the strong anise flavor had been decently tempered and the acidity lifted the dish as did the rather sweet flesh of the pumpkin.

I ordered the Magret de Canard, the Duck Breast.

I was concerned when this arrived as the duck seemed to be cooked a bit past where I prefer, but it was very tender, slightly gamey, the jus had a nice balance of richness, sweetness, and acidity. We both really loved the potato galette.

The dessert was a game-changer for the Missus. It was a cheese course. Over time we've really forgotten what we chose; but we won't forget this specific cheese course.

First off, all the cheese on the cart, which was sliced tableside were at the perfect serving temperature….the flavors were amazing. Second, the Missus had always avoided having the sweet compote with the cheese; but since this was served at room temperature, all the wonderful complex flavors came through and the compote just helped to elevate things. So thank you AnnaS, for setting the Missus off on the interesting "cheese ride" we're on.

The service was fantastic, professional, polished, but not stuffy. This was a very nice meal and we'd gladly eat here again!

Anna-S – La Table Amoureuse
6 Rue Gambetta
51100 Reims, France

Like the previous evening, we took a pleasant little stroll after dinner, in the peace and quiet of Reims.

Thanks for stopping by!